Tue. Mar 19th, 2024

Crazy Eights is probably one of the easiest games to play and teach to children. The game uses a standard deck of 52 playing cards and requires at least two players. The object of the game is to discard your cards first before your opponents.

How to Play Crazy Eights

To start a game of Crazy Eights, you will need to deal each player five cards face down. Once done, place the remaining cards in the center of the table and turn over the top card so it’s facing up.

The person to the immediate left of the dealer will go first and can discard any card in their hand that matches the suit of the card in the stockpile.

If the player does not have a card of the same suit, they can place a card of the same rank at which point the suit will then change to the same suit as the rank of the card face up.

Each player will take their turn discarding cards.

If a player does not have a card that matches the suit or rank of the card that is currently face up, that player has to pick up from the pile and misses a turn.

Things to Note

As the name suggests, eights are wild in this game. If a player discards an eight, that player gets to pick the next suit, or keep it the same.

If a player discards a two, the player to their immediate left is required to pick up two cards from the stockpile.

You can only discard multiple cards if they are the same rank. e.g 5s 5d 5c

If a player discards a Queen of spades, the player to their immediate left picks up five cards from the stockpile and misses a turn.

And that’s it. Pretty simple, huh

By admin

18 thoughts on “Crazy Eights”
  1. I just wanted to thank you for posting these directions. I appreciate being able to get online and find concise directions for free. My 9 year old daughter has been home with mono and complications for weeks now and I thought Crazy Eights would be a fun game to introduce to her for some distraction. So… Thank you!

  2. These are not the standard rules at all, these are your own made up rules. If a player cannot match the suit or denomination, she draws from the stockpile until she can match the suit, denomination, or play an 8. You cannot discard multiple cards of the same denomination; that nullifies some of the strategy that makes the game fun. Seems you are borrowing some rules from Uno with all the other ‘danger’ cards. This game in its original form is supposed to be fairly simple. Also, there is a scoring system.

  3. This was one of the best game that I used to play with my dad.
    dad expired last june (2017) now, I don’t have anybody to play with.
    is there any online site (paid/free) to play card games with other human players?
    regards
    Dhroobh

    1. We play it that if you put the Queen of Spades down, the next player in line has to pick up 5. But, if they play the King of Spades, it goes on to the next player in line.
      2’s add up. The unlucky one with no 2 has to pick up the added up number.

      We’ve never played that you can put down more than one card at a time, unless it’s 2 people playing and you put down a Jack, or multiple Jacks. Either way, a Jack means a missed turn for the next player in line.

      And, a very fun variation we invented is, when a player has to pick up cards, the other players thump the table with their palms in count to the number of cards (like 5 for the Queen of Spades) as they hit the table as the victim deals them out.
      Then, each time the victim pics the cards up, they have to say “Thank You” in a very bright, happy voice…or we make them pick up two more. Truly, they have to sound delighted or pick up two more! And you watch the expression on their face and they have to look delighted!

      At the end of the game, whoever has cards left in their hand, we make them pick up the cards left in their hand, as in any 2’s or Queens of Spades, not forgetting to say “Thank You” in a very delighted voice. (or pick up two more)
      It’s really fun.

  4. If I throw a queen of spade down can I throw a two of spade down with it or do I wait for the other player to pick up their five cards and then throw the two of spade down? How does it work?

  5. Can I put a 2 of spade on top of a queen of spade at the same time? Or do I have to play it after my opponent draws there cards first?

    1. I’m I the middle of a game and we paused it and haven’t laid a card down since. We are waiting to hear back from others on the subject before we continue our game.

    1. From what I know it would add up. For example, if the player to the left plays a queen on another queen the following player is required to draw ten cards, still losing a turn.

    2. We play the King of Spades on top of the Queen of Spades if you have it (you’re the next player in line only) and then the next player in line has to pick up the 5 cards and not you.

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